RFK Jr., Bernie Sanders spar over political donations from pharmaceutical companies

January 31st, 2025

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SGT
January 31, 2025

Salty Ginger Talk Newsletter

January 31st, 2025

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CURRENT EVENTS

RFK Jr., Bernie Sanders spar over political donations from pharmaceutical companies

Our take: RFK Jr. has done some crazy shit in his life. He was addicted to substances early in his life. He once took a dead bear from Maine to NYC and left it in Central Park as a joke. He claimed doctors found a dead parasitic worm in his brain (could be true but still pretty nuts). He was even investigated for cutting the head off a dead whale and taking it home. Like Johnny Carson used to say, “Weird, wild stuff! ”

He has also built a great career as an environmental attorney, representing such clients as the NAACP, and won decisions against corporate giants Monsanto and DuPont. He is 71 and in phenomenal shape and has vowed to “Make America Healthy Again.”.

His plan to make Americans healthy centers largely around cleaning up the food industry by eliminating chemical additives to preserved foods and curtailing the grip Big Pharma has on both the health care system and their endless payments and subsidies to the ruling class. But because he is on Team Trump, he is now the enemy.

During his Senate confirmation hearings for his nomination for Secretary of Health & Human Services, he was attacked by many on the left, notably Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Ron Wyden of Oregon. Curiously, since 2020 these 3 senators have accepted more donations from the pharmaceutical industry than any other politicians.

When Sanders challenged RFK Jr. during his questioning, RFK Jr. pointed out this inconvenient truth. Sanders immediately objected, saying all those donations came from employees at the companies and not from the corporations or PACs they contribute to.

While that may be true, it is not a good look at all for the self-described “democratic socialist.”. When you rail against big corporations and then accept campaign donations in the millions from people that work for those very organizations, it smacks of hypocrisy. Like Ricky said to “Lucy—“BERNIE—YOU GOT SOME ‘SPLAINING TO DO!!! ”

COURTESY: NEWSBREAK

Ravens kicker Tucker accused by 6 masseuses of inappropriate behavior at sessions

Our take: Justin Tucker is a fixture in Baltimore due to his clutch kicking for the Ravens. He struggled this year, but prior to that, he was the most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL. When he took the field, you could almost put the points on the board before the snap.

With that said, some serious allegations were leveled against him by service workers from several massage parlors/spas around the Baltimore area. Stories of unwanted exposure, forced touching, and mysterious liquids on the table after he left came from 6 different women who worked on Tucker during his spa visits from the period 2012-2016. Tucker has vehemently denied all allegations.

A few things don’t make sense to us here.

First—The alleged incidents happened over a decade ago in several instances. When the Me Too movement gained traction in 2017, we found it hard to believe these women did not come forward to tell their stories then.

Second—none of these women ever reported the alleged incidents to the police. We know many victims of sexual assault or harassment never report their experiences. But all 6 of them kept this silent for this long? And even though 2 of the spas banned Tucker from returning (the spas say they banned him; Tucker claims these bans never happened), they never reported it either? We own and run businesses, and if any of our associates reported experiences like these on the job, you can rest assured there would be a police report filed.

Finally, the article says “most” of the women did not know each other before the Baltimore Banner reached out to them to tell their stories; the incidents all bear a striking similarity to each other. If it is true that these women did not know each other, it seems odd that these incidents are all reported to match so closely.

We don’t know what to make of this. It seems like a classic “He said/She said” situation that will be difficult to prove or disprove. And we strongly believe everyone should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

One thing we are sure of. Someone has already hung the nickname “Justin Tugger” on the kicker, and there is no way that ever goes away. It’s too classic.

COURTESY: THE BALTIMORE BANNER

Father of pilot killed in DC crash shows empathy for helicopter crew, mourns loss of son

Our take: This is a heartbreaking story. As we are sure you already know, a military helicopter flew into the path of a commercial airliner as the plane approached Reagan Airport to land earlier this week. The 2 aircraft collided in a fiery crash, with both aircraft plunging into the Potomac River below, killing everyone on board both vehicles.

The pilot of the commercial jetliner was 27 years old. His father, a former Army helicopter pilot, spoke briefly with the press, expressing sorrow about both the loss of his son and the camaraderie he felt for the soldiers also killed in the crash.

We didn’t think this story could get sadder or more difficult to process, but the angst this man is expressing just made it happen. Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by the loss of a loved one. Hopefully they can find some peace and learn to deal with the loss as they move forward.

COURTESY: MSN

TIP OF THE DAY

With only very few exceptions, you should not “do what you love” for a career. If that were good advice, the world would be full of cowboys and princesses. Instead, find something you are good at, that has a high rate of employment, and learn to love that work. You will get good at it, make good money, and you will be happy.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The truth is like poetry, and most people fucking hate poetry.”

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